Austin gets its own taste of Johnny and June in locals Dawn & Hawkes. A lot has changed for the local folk troubadours since debut 2012 EP Golden Heart. The pair enjoyed a two-week run on NBC’s The Voice last year and eloped this October, both major life changes borne out on their first full-length, Yours and Mine. Voice coach Adam Levine and the show’s mainstream appeal are likely responsible for a poppier polish on the 11-track album, but the chemistry is pure matrimonial bliss. The title track’s almost too obvious, but the harmonies sell it, and the acoustic-driven “Lightning Strikes” is lovely in both its simplicity and slick, near-constant complementary vox. Opener “Silver Line” takes on a deconstructed spaghetti Western ballad, the duo’s vocal tandem entrancing over adept guitar picking. Both bode well for the duo’s career outside of the honeymoon phase.
This article appears in December 25 • 2015.